Japanese whisky fans rejoice: three Japanese whiskies have taken out top trophies at the 2020 World Whiskies Awards. Like so many other events this year, the 2020 World Whiskies Awards were a muted affair, with the usual gala dinner swapped for a live-streamed online awards show on March 27. But the subdued announcement wouldn’t have stopped the celebrations in Japan, as Suntory Hakushu, Fuji Single Grain and Ichiro’s Malt & Grain each won awards in categories that Japanese whisky has come to dominate.
World’s Best Blended Limited Release went to the impressively named Ichiro's Malt & Grain Japanese Blended Whisky Limited Edition 2020. Ichiro’s Malt & Grain is made by Chichibu Distillery in Saitama, and this is the third time one of Ichiro’s limited edition whiskies has won the award.
Speaking of streaks, Fuji Single Grain 30 Year Old Small Batch took the prize for World’s Best Grain, making this a second straight win for Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba Distillery.
Last but certainly not least, Suntory’s The Hakushu Single Malt 25 Year Old was named World’s Best Single Malt, reclaiming the title it first won in 2018.
If you’re hoping to get your hands on one of the winning bottles, they were already in big demand before the awards, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled and your bank account stocked. On the plus side, at least you won’t have to enter a lottery to buy them.
If you’d rather switch to gin, Suntory has you covered there, too, with the recently released Japanese gin, Sui.
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